FANATICS FEST NYC 2024: WWE
Let's try to unravel what went sideways at the autographs and photo ops sessions over the weekend with the WWE fans.
First of all the area they had the WWE celebrities was put in the wrong location,with this group having the largest fan base they should have been placed in the area where the Trading Card Vendors were,there was little to no foot traffic in that area.
Line Management was non-existent and would have made it hard if there was a medical emergency in the surrounding vending booths.
Also seems there was no "liaison" (at least two crew members) from the organization itself (not volunteers) to direct fans into which chute they should be going into for their photos.
With "Signing Conventions" which is probably the most expensive (for attendees) part of attending these events,you have to make sure your layout is not confusing to your crew members and attendees.
ATTENDEE PUTS FANATICS FEST ON BLAST FOR WWE PHOTO OPS FIASCO AND DISORGANIZED MESS!!!
If someone is running behind schedule (late) do NOT email or text attendees especially at the Javitz Center where your cell phone signal can be spotty depending on what location you are standing in.
USE TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and Facebook FIRST!
Once attendees get frustrated,getting to the event super early, tired from standing so long and not getting some sort of answer where to go.
You're asking for the weekend to be one pain in the ass for all involved,crew members and attendees who paid a lot of money to come to this event.
You are standing in line for your autograph morning session (10:10 am) that you arrived at the convention center super early for....just to hear the screams and opening theme in the middle of the showroom floor for Cody Rhodes when it's now after 11:00 am and his line is wrapping three times over.
"What's he doing over there?"
I was on the line waiting for Drew McIntyre (10:15 am session) at 9:30 am as soon as they let us in,he arrived late (10:50am) but I got my autograph around 11:15 and strolled over to FANATICS STAGE where Cody Rhodes was.👇🏾
Cody Rhodes autograph session was to start at 10:00 -11:00 am and then he was supposed to go over to the stage by 11:15am.
Photo ops and autograph sessions with WWE talent were sold out
This is where everything went sideways.
What alternate universe were the event managers in charge of autographs and photo ops living in to give him an HOUR to sign all those autographs?
Any fan experienced with NYCC,FAN EXPO, SDCC or RHODE ISLAND COMIC CON,knows if the celebrity (more popular) is an HOUR late.
There is a good chance everything is going to get juggled around,that's why you only schedule (the one you want the most) for that day and leave the rest of your day open.
This is what happened with the Cody Rhodes autograph session,his HANDLERS should have IMMEDIATELY taken him to the autographs session and try to knock out as many as he could,since Drew McIntyre was late as well,it wouldn't have been as bad as it turned out for some fans.👇🏾
WWE is probably the only group that has fans that grew up with them (WWF like myself but I'm more for the old school wrestlers),current and next generation fans which is why they were the group that sold out for autographs and photo ops,if anything maybe the WWE needs to their OWN once a year convention.
Something to think about and who better to run it but the organization themselves.
Monday
08.19.2024
L.G